again.
He laughed. These would feel his power, as one day the barbarian would!
CHAPTER TEN
As the autumn rains drenched the countryside and the days passed, Aderyn was Sanematsu’s constant companion. They discussed the principalities of Portugal, Britain, France and Spain, and the legends of Nihon.
“Explain your Ten-nou’s divinity again,” Aderyn requested. “I do not understand.”
“I do not know what there is to understand,” he replied. “Jimmu Ten-nou was the first Son of Heaven. The Goddess Amaterasu Omikami is his great-great-great grandmother. He descended from the god named Hikonagi Takeugaya Fukiaezu and Tamayori Hime to establish the Chrysanthemum Throne to rule all of Nihon. All who are of the ancestry of Jimmu Ten-nou are divine beings to our sacred isle.”
“That is hard to imagine.” Her brown waves swayed as she moved her head in disbelief. She worked a small piece of charcoal over the rough parchment on her lap.
“How is your royalty given power over their lands? Does not your god anoint them?” He watched as she drew.
“Yes, they have the divine right to rule, but they are not gods.” Her gaze locked with his.
Three moons had passed since they first spoke, when she had taken such care not to look at him. Now, with the barriers of decorum falling to their friendship, she failed to mind her behavior as often as before. He did not mention her infractions, at times was even amused by them.
“How can they be? They do not rule the Land of the Gods.”
“I will concede that.” Her sparkling green eyes left his to focus on her art. “But what of the shogun? Why does he make the laws instead of the Ten-nou?”
“Shogun Ashikaga is general over all the emperor’s armies. This gives him the right to relieve Ten-nou of the burden of tedious lawgiving. It allows him to be concerned with the responsibilities of a deity.”
Sanematsu watched the tiny muscle in her jaw twitch as she mulled his response. Her round cheeks were pink with sun over her light tan complexion. As she concentrated on the difficult sketch, the tip of her tongue pushed between her full lips. A warm wave moved through his body.
“And it is this Shogun’s idea that barbarians are dangerous to Nihon?” Again she turned her exquisite eyes to him, and the flood surged.
“It is not the barbarians themselves our government fears. It is their ideas and dogma they are wary of. We are a land of conformity and order. To upset that tranquility is unthinkable.”
Processing his thoughts and answering her questions in diplomatic form was difficult. The images running through his brain were not governmental in the least.
In some ways, the emotion for the foreign woman awakening within him disturbed him; in others, he welcomed the feeling. Some might think it improper to entertain lustful desires for her. Matsumoto would not have argued the impropriety, but his desires would be merely physical. Sanematsu’s passion was for more than Aderyn’s body. This was the sentiment that concerned him.
“All this political talk makes my head hurt,” she said as she finished her detailing.
She raised her head and flexed her shoulders. The movement pressed her full breasts against the tight silk of her uchiki. The heat of his reaction increased.
“I have an idea. Sachi-sama taught me a game. Would you like to learn it?”
“Of course. I am sure it is interesting if Sachi-sama took the time to teach you.”
The diversion would distract him from what was happening in his body.
“I will bring the board.”
Aderyn unfolded her lean legs and rose to her full height. The ensemble of robes fell in a whisper of silk as she moved away. He watched her hurry to the yashiki, her hips swaying beneath the uchiki and her long hair moving across her narrow shoulders.
When she returned, she carried a rectangular wooden box and a small table. She unfolded the legs of the table and set the box on top. Unclasping the
He laughed. These would feel his power, as one day the barbarian would!
CHAPTER TEN
As the autumn rains drenched the countryside and the days passed, Aderyn was Sanematsu’s constant companion. They discussed the principalities of Portugal, Britain, France and Spain, and the legends of Nihon.
“Explain your Ten-nou’s divinity again,” Aderyn requested. “I do not understand.”
“I do not know what there is to understand,” he replied. “Jimmu Ten-nou was the first Son of Heaven. The Goddess Amaterasu Omikami is his great-great-great grandmother. He descended from the god named Hikonagi Takeugaya Fukiaezu and Tamayori Hime to establish the Chrysanthemum Throne to rule all of Nihon. All who are of the ancestry of Jimmu Ten-nou are divine beings to our sacred isle.”
“That is hard to imagine.” Her brown waves swayed as she moved her head in disbelief. She worked a small piece of charcoal over the rough parchment on her lap.
“How is your royalty given power over their lands? Does not your god anoint them?” He watched as she drew.
“Yes, they have the divine right to rule, but they are not gods.” Her gaze locked with his.
Three moons had passed since they first spoke, when she had taken such care not to look at him. Now, with the barriers of decorum falling to their friendship, she failed to mind her behavior as often as before. He did not mention her infractions, at times was even amused by them.
“How can they be? They do not rule the Land of the Gods.”
“I will concede that.” Her sparkling green eyes left his to focus on her art. “But what of the shogun? Why does he make the laws instead of the Ten-nou?”
“Shogun Ashikaga is general over all the emperor’s armies. This gives him the right to relieve Ten-nou of the burden of tedious lawgiving. It allows him to be concerned with the responsibilities of a deity.”
Sanematsu watched the tiny muscle in her jaw twitch as she mulled his response. Her round cheeks were pink with sun over her light tan complexion. As she concentrated on the difficult sketch, the tip of her tongue pushed between her full lips. A warm wave moved through his body.
“And it is this Shogun’s idea that barbarians are dangerous to Nihon?” Again she turned her exquisite eyes to him, and the flood surged.
“It is not the barbarians themselves our government fears. It is their ideas and dogma they are wary of. We are a land of conformity and order. To upset that tranquility is unthinkable.”
Processing his thoughts and answering her questions in diplomatic form was difficult. The images running through his brain were not governmental in the least.
In some ways, the emotion for the foreign woman awakening within him disturbed him; in others, he welcomed the feeling. Some might think it improper to entertain lustful desires for her. Matsumoto would not have argued the impropriety, but his desires would be merely physical. Sanematsu’s passion was for more than Aderyn’s body. This was the sentiment that concerned him.
“All this political talk makes my head hurt,” she said as she finished her detailing.
She raised her head and flexed her shoulders. The movement pressed her full breasts against the tight silk of her uchiki. The heat of his reaction increased.
“I have an idea. Sachi-sama taught me a game. Would you like to learn it?”
“Of course. I am sure it is interesting if Sachi-sama took the time to teach you.”
The diversion would distract him from what was happening in his body.
“I will bring the board.”
Aderyn unfolded her lean legs and rose to her full height. The ensemble of robes fell in a whisper of silk as she moved away. He watched her hurry to the yashiki, her hips swaying beneath the uchiki and her long hair moving across her narrow shoulders.
When she returned, she carried a rectangular wooden box and a small table. She unfolded the legs of the table and set the box on top. Unclasping the
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